Falling Apart
by Mysterious Midnight
Summary: The final part of the Breaking Point Trilogy. Melinda Halliwell, Piper's daughter, grieving over her parents' divorce and the death of an Aunt, is about to go down the same dangerous path her mom went down 35 years ago.
1. Grieving

A/N: This is the Third and final part in the Breaking Point Trilogy! It takes place twenty years after the last part. Please enjoy! And Please review!

Sorry if this is kinda short. I had some writer's block. Sorry if it sucks, too. Lol. It'll get better, promise. Please enjoy and please review!

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Melinda Halliwell sat on her bed on her stomach, flipping through the latest copy of _Seventeen _Magazine. Her school bag lay forgotten by her desk, it's contents still in the bag and the bag zipped shut.

There was a knock at her door that she ignored, but the knock persisted until the door opened and her mother walked in.

"Melinda, have you finished your homework?"

"Nope," Melinda said casually, flipping another page.

Piper crossed her arms. "It's almost dinner time."

"So?" She flipped another page.

Piper stalked to the bed and snatched the magazine up, shutting it.

Melinda sat up. "Hey! I was reading that!"

"Do your homework. Dinner will be done in half an hour. Wash up then come down."

"No," Melinda snapped, crossing her arms as well.

"Fine. You won't eat." Piper left the room, door open.

Melinda eyed the door and it closed. She lay back down and stared at her ceiling, sulking.

Downstairs, Piper stalked back to the kitchen angrily, checking dinner.

"How is she?" Paige asked.

"She refuses to do her homework and she still won't eat with us." Piper kept her back to her sisters.

"It's a lot for her to deal with, Piper," Phoebe said gently. "Just give her time."

"I just don't know what else to do," Piper admitted, turning to face them with tears in her eyes.

"She just needs time," Phoebe repeated. "First you and Leo got divorced and not long after, Prue . . ." Her voice caught in her throat. "Soon after, Prue died. Melinda just needs time to . . . digest everything. We all do."

Piper nodded solemnly. "I guess you're right. I just-" She sighed and shook her head.

"I can talk to her if you want," Paige volunteered. "I can help with the Prue part, anyway. I remember what it was like when my parents died . . ."

Piper nodded. "Thanks."

Paige nodded.

"And I can talk to her about you and Leo, unless you think you should. It's just that sometimes kids respond better to adults who aren't their parents, especially during hard times," Phoebe added.

Piper nodded again. "Thanks, guys. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't still have you two."

"Go insane?" Paige suggested.

"Already am," Piper sighed.

Phoebe and Paige gave her sympathetic frowns.

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Melinda stared at the pictures of her dad and her Aunt Prue that sat on her night table. She missed Aunt Prue so much. She missed her dad, too, but she could see him anytime. But Aunt Prue she-

That's when the idea hit her and she orbed to the attic. She rummaged in an old trunk and pulled out a handful of fat, short, white candles. She placed them in the circle and lit them, then stood by the book and recited:

"_Hear these words, here my cry_

_Spirit from the other side._

_Come to me, I summon thee,_

_Cross now the great divide."_

Melinda hesitated on the last line, knowing that calling her Aunt was forbidden, but she was desperate to see her.

Except the spell didn't work.

Prue didn't appear in the circle of candles, nor did anyone else.

Tears welling in her eyes, she slumped to the floor, staring at the empty circle. She felt as if the whole world were against her. She had lost her dad to a grueling divorce that had lasted two years. Two months later, Aunt Prue had been killed by a demon. Then there was the fact that Melinda was Half-Witch (A Charmed One to be exact) and Half-Whitelighter and she couldn't tell anyone. She felt alone and her mother didn't understand how lonely that felt. It was too much for a thirteen-year-old to handle. At least if she could confide in someone her feelings, but she had no one.

She watched as the wax from the candles dripped slowly to the floor, not caring about anything or anyone,.

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After a very subdued dinner, Phoebe and Paige helped Piper clean up, then Paige excused herself to go speak with Melinda. But after several minutes of knocking on her door, Paige realized Melinda wasn't in there. Worried, she was about to go tell Piper when she heard soft sobs coming from the attic. She made her way down the hall, up the steps into the attic. She pushed the door open slowly, though it still creaked, to find a ring of half melted white candles, still burning, and Melinda huddled on the floor by the Book. Her knees were drawn up to her chest and she had her forehead resting on them.

"Mel?" Paige walked over and sat beside her.

"Go away," Melinda sobbed, her voice muffled.

"I can't do that," Paige said gently. "Were you trying to summon Prue?"

Melinda shook her head no.

"You were." Paige frowned at the candles. "Didn't work, huh?"

Melinda's shoulders sagged and she shook her head, finally lifting it off her knees. Her eyes were bright red and her face was blotched.

"Magic does things for a reason, honey." Paige scooted closer to her niece and put an arm around her. "Maybe you aren't meant to contact Prue yet. But one day, you will. I know it's tough. When my parents died, I was so angry at them and so sad at the same time-"

"Did my mom send you up here?" Melinda interrupted. "Cause I don't need a pep talk."

Paige shook her head. "No. I came to talk to you. Mel, it's been a weeks since Prue . . . well, passed away. She wouldn't want you up here, sulking and trying to summon her. She's probably watching over us right now."

"Why did she have to die?" Melinda asked quietly. "Why did she go?" She was on the verge of tears again.

Paige shook her head again. "I don't know. Do we ever know why our loved ones pass away?"

Melinda shook her head reluctantly.

Paige stood and snuffed out the candles, then picked them up and dumped them in the garbage. Then she held her hand out to help Melinda stand.

"Why don't you go do your homework?" Paige suggested. "I'll come by later to check in on you."

Melinda nodded and began walking to the door. But she stopped and backtracked, giving Paige a hug before leaving. She went to her room and closed the door, then sat on her bed and sulked. She hated being talked to like she was five. And Paige's pep talk hadn't helped at all, anyway. But the only way she had could have escaped back to her own room was if she went along with it.

Melinda glanced at the pictures of Prue and her dad. Before, she had been sad. And though she was still sad, she was also angry. Unable to look at the pictures anymore, she knocked them over, frame down, then collapsed on her bed, staring angrily at the ceiling,


	2. Angry Outbursts

A/N: Ah . . . how many people want to kill me? – Looks around for raised hands. – It's been a month since I last updated. Sorry! School got in my way. But I'm back!

Lots of apologies all around from some of you. But don't worry, I forgive and forget. Besides, I have an apology, too: My summary sucked. Lol. But I couldn't think of anything else to say. I'll try and change it if I suddenly get a brilliant idea, but not likely.

Until then, here's chapter two . . . which is kind of short, forgive me! I thought shorter was better than nothing.

Oh, also, some asked what the time line is so here: Piper and Leo divorced. Two months later, Prue was killed. This fix takes place a week after that happened.

Enjoy!

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"How'd it go?"

Paige had just come down from speaking with Melinda. Piper and Phoebe were sitting in the living room, waiting to hear.

"Well, I think," Paige told Piper, sitting on the couch opposite her and Phoebe. "I don't know how much I helped, but . . . ." She wondered if she should mention that Melinda had tried to summon Prue, but decided against it.

"But?" Piper prompted.

"Nothing," Paige replied. Piper frowned at her, but Paige shook her head. "Honestly, it's nothing.

"Okay . . ." Piper said, unsure if she should believe her sister or not.

"She's . . . upset, Piper. I think I helped her a little, but she wasn't responding too much. I think she just needs time."

Piper frowned. "I hope you're right."

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Later that night, around eight or so, it was Phoebe's turn. She excused herself, leaving Piper and Paige in the living room, and went to Melinda's room. She knocked and got no answer. So she opened the door and walked in. Melinda was sitting on her bed, and Phoebe sat beside her.

Melinda didn't remove her eyes from the book she was reading, nor did she acknowledge her aunt at all.

"Melinda," Phoebe said gently.

Melinda ignored her.

"Melinda look at me," Phoebe said more firmly.

Melinda glanced at Phoebe with an uninterested scowl.

"We need to talk."

"Paige already came up here and gave me a pep talk. And I know Piper's forcing you to talk to me, too. So why don't you save us both a lot of trouble and go away? I'm busy."

Phoebe frowned. "First of all, look at me when I'm talking to you." She snatched Melinda's book from her, receiving an angry glare. "Second, it's mom, not Piper to you. And third, so what if Piper asked us to talk to you? For the record, she didn't, we offered, but that's not the point. The point is, we need to talk," Phoebe replied firmly.

Melinda rolled her eyes. "So you've said – five times."

"You need to try and move on. I know it's not easy and it'll never be okay. But it will get better, I promise. I know you miss your dad, but you can visit him any time you want. No one's going to stop you-"

"Piper will," Melinda replied bitterly. "She's already told me I can't go and see him."

"Just for a months. Then you can go see him," Phoebe corrected her. "And it's mom, not Piper." She paused. "Look, Mel, I know you're upset. I would be, too. A lot's happened. But you can't just stop living."

"Why the hell not?" Melinda demanded.

"Because-" Phoebe began, but was cut off by Piper, who stormed into the room angrily and yelled, "because you're not the only one who's hurting, Melinda!"

"We all lost someone! Prue was my sister! Phoebe's sister! Paige's sister! We all loved her and lost her, too. And Leo was my goddamn husband! You're not the only one who's hurting in this house!"

Melinda stared at her mother, half-shocked and half surprised. She didn't know what to say.

"Stop acting like you're the only one who lost someone!" Piper rambled on angrily, tears streaming down her face.

"Piper-"

"Shut up, Phoebe!" Piper snarled before turning back to glare at her daughter. "You're _not _the only one hurting!" And with that, she stormed out.

Melinda gulped back an angry retort, still shocked by her mother's sudden outburst. She glanced at her aunt to see if she had the same feeling.

Phoebe glanced at her niece and simply shook her head, then got up and left the room in search of her sister.

Once they had all gone, Melinda walked to her door and slammed it shut, then locked it and marched back to her bed. Fuming, she kicked her textbooks and notebooks off her bed, sending them crashing into her dresser. She swiped her hand out at the items on her night table, knocking her clock, lamp, and some pictures to the floor. She yanked the draw out and it, too, crashed to the hardwood floor. Amidst the rubble, she spotted something shiny.

Sharp and shiny.

It was an athame she kept in her drawer in case of sudden nightly attacks.

She picked it up.


	3. The Truth is Almost Out There

A/N: I know I haven't updated in forever, and I apologize. It's been absolutely crazy, and I wouldn't even know where to begin to explain…so let me just begin.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'll try to update sooner next time!

Please enjoy!

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The next morning, no one was in good spirits. Piper was mad at Melinda for the way she was behaving, as if she was the only one who had lost someone; Phoebe was upset over the way Piper had reacted the night before; Paige was sulking because everyone was angry and being snippy to each other; and Melinda was angry with everyone.

Wearing a long black shirt and a pair of blue jeans, she stomped down from her room, grabbed her bag, and made a beeline for the door. She'd always hated school; being a witch and unable to tell anyone made her something of a loner. But with recent events, she disliked it even more.

"Melinda, get back here and have breakfast. And why are you wearing that? It's eighty degrees and humid out, and the temperature is only going to keep rising," Piper said irritably, pulling down a plate for her daughter and preparing to stake it with food.

"I'm not hungry. And I'll wear whatever the hell I-"

"Language," Piper snapped.

"Can you guys not argue for five seconds?" Paige grumbled, rubbing her temples with her thumbs as a headache crept up on her.

Melinda glared at her mom.

"Eat and change before you leave," Piper said firmly.

"No!" Melinda snapped. She dropped her bag and went upstairs, slamming the door. If she couldn't dress how she wanted, and _had _to have breakfast in order to leave, then she just wouldn't leave.

She planted herself on her bed and rolled up her sleeves. Her eyes grazed over the gauze pads on either wrist, frowning slightly. She peeled back the medical tape on her right wrist and moved the gauze, but winced and quickly put the bandage back in place. The bleeding had stopped, but the cut was deep and not too pleasing to look at.

She brought her knees up to her chest and put her chin on them, arms wrapped around her legs, thinking. Last night seemed like little more than a dream. She had picked up the athame and stared at it for a grueling ten minutes before making the first cut. It had stung and she'd cried out, causing Paige to knock on her door.

"Are you okay in there? I heard screaming," Paige had called through the locked door.

Melinda had frantically grabbed some tissues out of the box on her night table and pressed them to the cut, the athame lying forgotten on her bed.

"I'm fine!" She'd called through gritted teeth. After a second and third conformation, Paige had called goodnight and gone back to her room.

Despite the pain, Melinda had picked the athame up and done it again, this time on her left wrist. When she was done, she had one cus on each wrist, and though they stung and bled, she felt calmer than she had before she'd first cut herself. Her heart ached less.

She'd snuck into the bathroom, cleaned the cuts, and put gauze and medical tape on, then quickly gone back into her room and gone to sleep. She didn't want her mom or aunts to see what she'd done.

In the kitchen, Piper scrubbed the table so hard, she put a scratch in the wood with her nail. Sighing in frustration, she sat in a chair with her head in her head.

"What do I do? Prue, please, tell me what to do," she mumbled miserably.

"For starters, you should stop looking as if someone's died."

Piper jumped, startled out of her thoughts, and looked up. "Prue?"

Prue smiled at her and walked over, hugging her still-in-shock sister.

"But how-?"

Prue shrugged. "I'm not here long. I convinced the Elders to let me come see you because so much has happened."

"Melinda misses you terribly," Piper said, not acknowledging anything Prue said.

Prue frowned, suddenly looking serious. "Piper, that's kind of why I'm here."

Now it was Piper's turn to frown. She sat up straighter as Prue sat beside her.

"What? What's wrong with Melinda?"

Prue frowned. "She's not doing well. She can't cope with Leo _and_ me being gone. It's too much for her. She's just a kid. It's too much for her."

"I know. But she doesn't seem to get-"

"-That she isn't the only one who lost someone. I know. I heard you telling her last night. But Piper-" Prue paused, trying to come up with the right words to say what she needed to say.

"What?" Piper demanded.

"Melinda's in trouble. And unless you help her – and fast – it's going to get worse."

Piper's eyes widened. "What kind of trouble?"

"I have to go now," Prue said, looking skyward. "They're calling me back. I was only supposed to warn you." She hugged Piper and stood.

"What kind of trouble?" Piper asked again, as they broke apart.

"I love you," Prue said, disappearing in white orbs as Piper yet again cried, "What kind of trouble?"

Piper's eyes remained white and filled with worry. She stood rooted to the spot; staring at the place Prue had stood only seconds before.

"Sweetie?"

Piper forced her gaze to meet Phoebe's.

Phoebe slowly walked closer to her sister. "Whoa re you talking to?"

"Prue."

"Prue was here?" Phoebe gasped, eyes wide.

Piper nodded, sniffling, as tears that she couldn't hold back began to flow.

Phoebe stepped closer and embraced Piper for a long time, then made her sit at the table, and sat next to her. She put her hand on Piper's. "What did she say?"

"She said that . . . that she was here to warn me. That Melinda was in trouble . . . and that if I don't help her, it will get worse . . .."

"What kind of trouble?" Phoebe asked slowly, crossing her arms.

Piper shrugged, swiping at her tears. "I don't know. Prue wouldn't say . . . I don't know. How can I help her if I don't know?" she asked bitterly.

"I don't know sweetie . . . Maybe you just need to talk to her. Really talk. No yelling, no scolding. And don't talk down to her. Teenagers hate that."

Piper smiled wryly. "Since when are you so good at giving advice?"

Phoebe shrugged and smiled. "Now go. Talk to her."

Piper nodded and stood. She wiped her eyes and walked out of the kitchen, then made her way out of the kitchen and up to Melinda's room. She knocked.

"Melinda? Sweetie?"

"Just a . . . just a sec!" Came the panicked reply.

Piper frowned, worried immediately. "Melinda?"

"Just a sec, mom!"

Piper frowned deeply. "Melinda, I'm going to blow this door down if you don't-"

The door opened.

"-Open the door . . ." Piper frowned.

"What do you want?" Melinda snapped.

"Can I come in?" Piper asked. Melinda hesitated, then stepped aside and walked to the bed, sitting down and watching Piper walk over and sit beside her.

"Sweetie . . . I'm worried about you. I wanted to talk to you."

Melinda scowled at her. "Talk about what?" she snapped.

"You, and what's bothering you," Piper replied gently.

Melinda snorted. "So now you're playing the Good Witch?"

"No, I'm never the Good Witch. Right now I'm being your mom."

"Well, whatever. Nothing's bothering me, so you can go back to whatever you were doing."

"No, sweetie, I'm not going to go. I'm going to stay and we're going to-"

"To what?" Melinda snapped.

But Piper was already half way to the door.

"Uhm, nothing . . . just . . . go to bed." Piper closed the door and practically ran down to the living room where Phoebe and Paige were talking. They stopped when they saw Piper, in tears and breathing hard.

"Piper, what's wrong?" Paige asked worriedly.

Piper seemed unable to speak at first, and very close to hyperventilating. When she finally spoke, her words came out quickly, tumbling from her lips, as her tears flowed down her face.

"It's-it's Melinda . . . s-she's cutting!"


	4. Interrogation

A/N: Shock! I'm actually updating again – and only a day after! As my sister would say, the plot bunnies bit me and demanded I continue. (. . . I promise, I'm not insane . . well, maybe a little . . but that's besides the point . . .)

It's been thundering, and I shouldn't even be on now. But I wanted to finish this. The chapter is shorter than normal, and I don't have time to individually thank everyone. So here's one big thanks, and I'm glad everyone's liking it!

Here's chapter four! Enjoy!

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"Whoa, Piper, slow down!" Phoebe said gently, standing and walking to her sister. She led Piper to the couch, sat her down, and sat beside her.

Piper sat, only because her legs couldn't support her anymore. She tried to take deep breaths to calm her frantic heartbeat and shallow, quick breaths, but failed and began to sob instead.

"Piper, how do you know she's cutting?" Paige asked gently.

It took Piper a long time before she was able to speak.

"I saw . . . the athame she keeps in her night table. It was on her bed. It had a blood on its blade. I saw where things had been shoved under the blankets. I saw her hiding her wrists from me. And the way she sounded when I knocked . . . panicked, like she was afraid and annoyed."

Phoebe and Paige exchanged looks, then turned to Piper, who spoke again before they could.

"I know the signs. I cut when I was her age, remember? I just know she is. What about that long-sleeved shirt in eighty-degree weather? What about the fact that she's suffering right now? And depressed? Perfect grounds for something like this to happen. Don't you see? She's cutting!"

Paige frowned. "Did you ask her? Did she admit to it?"

"No. I ran from the room," Piper admitted stubbornly. "But I know she is. Don't you believe me? I know the signs. I'm the inventor of the signs. I think I'd know if she was or not."

"Sweetie, maybe you should ask her-"

"I know she is!" Piper snarled angrily. How could her sisters not believe her? She stood and stormed away.

Phoebe blinked and turned to Paige.

"Think we should go check on Mel?"

Paige nodded. Together, they stood and walked upstairs, then stopped outside Melinda's room and knocked.

They heard a frustrated cry from behind the door.

"Melinda? Can we come in?"

"NO!"

Phoebe turned to Paige and nodded. Paige took her hand and together they orbed into Melinda's room.

"Don't you know the meaning of the word privacy?" Melinda snapped, hurrying to cover things up.

"We're worried about you. And so is your mom."

"She's always worried about something," Melinda snapped, scowling.

"Well, this time she might have reason to," Phoebe replied sternly. "Show me your wrists, please."

Melinda seemed to freeze. "What? Why?"

"Could you just do it?" Paige asked firmly.

Melinda stared from one aunt to the other. "No. Why?"

"Melinda, don't. Please don't make this difficult. Just show us your wrists," Phoebe said, almost begged.

Melinda shook her head. "Why? What's going on?" But the hard edge in her voice seemed to ebb away, only to be replaced by fear and panic.

"Melinda-" Phoebe took a step forward, but stopped short when Melinda stiffened and edged backwards, towards the other side of her bed.

"We just want to help," Paige said gently. "If something's wrong, if you're doing something-"

"I'm not doing anything," Melinda sniffed, narrowing her eyes, trying to bring back her Big Bad Bravado, but failing. "Nothing's wrong."

"If nothing's wrong, then why won't you show us your arms?" Phoebe demanded suddenly. "If you had nothing to hide, you'd willingly roll your sleeves up for us to see."

"I don't know what you want to see," Melinda snapped. "I told you there's nothing there. I'm not doing anything, and I have nothing to hide. I do have homework to do though, so if you'd kindly go away."

Phoebe and Paige exchanged looks, a silent agreement passing between them. They backed off, heading for the door.

"Fine. But if you need to talk, you know where to find us," Phoebe said.

Paige nodded. "And anything you say, no matter what it is, will be between us three. Your mom doesn't have to get involved."

Melinda glared after them as they shut the door. Then she pushed the blanket back to reveal the athame, gauze, medical tape, and ointment. She stared at her bare wrists, the fresh cuts looking ugly. They had been from earlier . . . when Piper had almost walked in on her, just after she'd cut. That had been a close call.

Turning the conversation over in her mind, Melinda cleaned and bandaged her cuts, wondering how Phoebe and Paige had figured it out, and if Piper knew, too? And if that was why she had run from the room earlier? But how had she known?

Contemplating all this, she cleaned up the mess she'd made, and hit the first-aid material, then went to her desk. She pulled her notebooks and textbooks from her bag, sighed, and began to work on her homework – anything to get her mind of her mom, aunts, and the cuts that stung like crazy, and seemed to rip open every time she moved her hands or arms.


	5. Confession

A/N: Hey guys. I got a private message from someone, and I realized it's been almost 2 months since I updated. I apologize. It's been….A not so hot summer. But here's chapter 5. Please review, and I hope you enjoy!

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"Did you believe her?"

Phoebe shook her head. "Not one bit."

"So she's cutting." Paige sighed, as Phoebe nodded.

"Piper was right. We should have believed her."

"So now what? Wait, why are we going to the attic?"

Phoebe pushed the door to the attic open and went to the Book.

"Melinda is upset because she misses Leo and Prue. Piper won't call Leo, so we're calling Prue."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, won't seeing Prue make it worse? You and Piper weren't allowed to see her for years after she died. Maybe we should call Leo."

"Piper would kill us," Phoebe replied firmly.

"No, she wouldn't."

Both Phoebe and Paige turned. Piper, her face tear-streaked, was standing near the doorway to the attic.

"Sweetie-"

"Phoebe, please." Piper walked closer. "Paige is right. Calling Prue isn't a good idea. But…we need Leo. He can talk to her. Maybe…she'll open up to him. She's too angry with me to talk to me. But her dad . . ."

"Are you sure you want to do this, Piper? You haven't spoken to Leo since the divorce," Paige said uncertainly.

Piper nodded. Before anyone could ask any more questions, she did the one thing she didn't want to do. "Leo."

Almost immediately, blue orbs filled the room and Leo appeared. He hadn't changed much; his blonde/brown hair was still short, he didn't really have any stubble on his face. He dressed the same. The only difference was the look in his eyes…mostly unreadable, yet with a trace of loneliness.

"Piper . . .hi," he said awkwardly.

"Leo-" Piper paused. "This isn't…a social call. It's about Melly."

"What about her? What's wrong?" Leo asked worriedly, his father-mode kicking in.

"She's cutting. She won't admit it, and she won't talk to us. But I know she is."

A look of horror and denial swept over Leo's face. "No…. She can't be. Tell me you're kidding."

Fresh tears sprang into Piper's eyes. "I wish I could. I think…it's because of Prue and you. Prue died, and then a little while later, we divorced and you were gone. She's hurting, Leo, and hurting herself as a result. She won't talk to me, but maybe she'll talk to you."

Leo nodded. He turned and left the attic, heading down for Melinda's room. He couldn't get his mind over the fact that his child was cutting. He remembered how hard it had been on Piper when she'd been cutting, and he'd hoped that his daughter wouldn't pick up the terrifying habit. But she had…and now he had to deal with it.

Outside her door, he paused. It had been months since he'd seen her last. She'd be shocked to see him. She'd be thrilled, too. But would she be thrilled enough to tell him about the cutting? Or would he have to be harsh and pick it out of her?

He knocked.

"Go away!"

"Melly . . . it's dad"

There was silence, scrambling, noises, and then the door opened.

"Dad!" Melinda cried, throwing her arms around him. "I can't believe it! You're here!"

Leo hugged her tightly. He'd noticed her long sleeves, her pale complexion. She looked sick. After the hug ended, he guided her into her room and sat on the bed.

"Did you come to see me? I know mom said you couldn't, but I miss you-"

"Melinda," Leo interrupted. He frowned at her. "We need to talk."

Melinda paled – if she could get any paler. "About?"

"Your mom and aunts . . . think you're cutting. They're worried about you."

"I'm not cutting! God, why does everyone think that?" Melinda snapped bitterly.

"Can you show me your arms, then?" Leo asked calmly.

"No!"

"But if you aren't cutting, then you would roll your sleeves up and show me."

Melinda scowled and crossed her arms. "I'm not cutting."

"Did you know, that when your mom was your age, she cut?"

The scowl fell off Melinda's face, replaced by a look of surprise. "She did?"

Leo nodded. "She didn't want to tell you…because she wanted to forget herself. She didn't tell anyone at first. Then one day, she cut too deep . . . and she almost died. Your great-grams barely got her to the hospital in time."

"But I don't cut that deep-"

Melinda put a hand over her mouth, cutting her words off; Leo sighed.

"Melinda, let me see."

Miserably, Melinda unfolded her arms, pulled the sleeves up, and extended both her arms for Leo to see.

It took all he had not to look away, gasp, or wince. Melinda's arms were covered, from wrist to elbow. Some cuts looked fresh, some a few days old. She had scabs on some, and others were dried blood. She had a ring of gauze on each of her wrists from fresh cuts she'd made, probably an hour or so earlier.

"Oh, Melinda," Leo said softly, gently holding her arm with one hand, and running his fingers over the cuts with his other.

By now, Melinda was crying. "I'm so sorry, daddy. I didn't know about mom. And . . . I just . . . I missed you and Aunt Prue so much."

"That's no reason to hurt yourself like this, Melinda," Leo said sharply. This only made Melinda cry harder.

Leo sighed. "I'm sorry. It'll be okay, sweetie. We'll get you some help," he said gently, pulling her into a comforting hug. "You'll be okay. Everything will be all right."

Melinda sobbed into Leo's shoulder. Leo glanced to the doorway, where the sisters were watching, Piper leaning into the doorframe to keep from falling down.

The look that the ex-husband and wife exchanged said it all:

_We need to talk._


	6. The Talk

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I was worried that, having not updated in forever, everyone would be like…"She finally updated…Whatever" and hit delete. Lol. So, first the review:

**Paige25:** Yes, I got your message! Thanks! It reminded me that I had to update. I've been neglecting my fanfics lately, because I've been working on some manuscripts and because it's been a little…crazy. So, thank you very much for the little shove. It got me to update, and look! I'm updating again!

**Kaaj: **The next update is now!

**Hollyfan1:** Thanks! I'm so glad you like it!

**PiperandLeoFan101:** Yeah. This time, I decided it was to redundant to waste several chapters on Melinda denying the fact, when it was really obvious what she was doing. And having it accidentally slip out like that while she spoke to Leo seemed like perfect timing. And yes, can't blame you for that! A lot of people want Piper and Leo back together. I mean, I never even explained why they were . . . Ooh . . . – Grins. – Idea. Anyway . . .

**Wiccnaforever: **Glad you liked it!

To anyone who sends a review for Ch 5 after I post this: Thanks and glad you enjoyed it!

Now on to Chapter 6! Enjoy!

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

Silence.

Piper and Leo stared at each other from, pretty much, opposite sides of the kitchen. Phoebe and Paige were upstairs, helping clean and bandage Melinda's arms. That left the two ex-spouses alone.

"How have you been?" Leo broke the silence.

Piper nodded. "All right, up until I realized my daughter was cutting, and my sisters didn't believe me."

Leo frowned. "I'm sorry, Piper."

"It's . . . it's okay," Piper mumbled, looking at the floor. "What do we do now?"

"I don't know."

Piper looked back at him. "I won't sent her to a psychiatric hospital. Not after what happened to me."

Leo nodded. "I understand. Maybe we should send her to a psychologist, then? Weekly sessions might do it. If she's this upset because of Prue being dead, and me being gone, then it's psychological."

"Or maybe you need to stop by more often," Piper replied, quirking a brow.

"But you don't want me around."

"Well, if it helps Melinda . . . ." Piper frowned. "Leo, I never meant for any of this to happen."

"Oh, Piper, don't blame yourself. Melinda was upset. She didn't even know you cut when you were her age. It's not like she did it because you did and she wanted-"

Piper shook her head. "Not Melinda. Us."

Leo frowned. "Us? What about us?"

"The fighting. The divorce. Everything."

Silence again.

Piper and Leo took turns glancing at each other, then looking away. When Piper had announced that she needed some time, Leo had been shocked, but he'd agreed.

"Needed some time" had translated into "I want a divorce".

Now, months later, he still wasn't completely sure why Piper had wanted a divorce, after such a long, happy (he thought) marriage.

"Why, Piper?"

It was vague, but Piper knew what he meant.

"I don't know," Piper replied glumly. "It was everything at once. Finding Paige, losing Prue. That demon had been Paige and I into the weird nuthouse. It was, I don't know, all of that. Knowing Grams shielded my memories of the hospital, demons, powers, and Paige. It just . . . got to me after awhile. I couldn't deal with anything or anyone and I needed time alone to think. And then . . ." She sighed and shook her head.

"Piper, listen to me. I know everything that happened was horrible. More than horrible. But you can't keep all those emotions locked inside. If you didn't want to talk to me, you should have at least told your sisters."

Piper blinked, then smiled and chuckled softly. "You always did know me too well. No, I didn't ever tell my sisters these things. How could I? What they did know was bad enough. I didn't want to burden them."

Leo nodded. He walked forward and brushed his hand over Piper's cheek, then gripped her hand lovingly. He looked her right in the eyes.

"Piper, listen. We need to talk. But right now, Mel needs us. Lets get her the help she needs, and then we can . . . help ourselves."

Piper nodded, sniffling, and for the first time since Prue's death and the divorce, not bothering to push back her tears. She let them flow down her face freely.

"Okay. All right. First step, we need to go talk to her. Both of us," Piper said softly.

Leo nodded, pulling Piper close and hugging her tightly. He let her cry into his shoulder, not minding the tears and snot and even the drool getting on his shirt.

Right now, all he cared about was his family. They needed him, and he needed to help them. He had to be there, for Piper as well as Melinda.


	7. Heart to Heart

A/N: Hey. Sorry if this chapter is blah. I have Writers Block. So this chapter is going to, hopefully, add fuel to fire and the story will pick up after this chapter. Now, on to the reviews:

**charmedbaby11: **So glad you liked it!

**LostWitch5: **Lol. I'm glad you're enjoying it. And I know, I need to update more. I'm trying! Lol.

**hollyfan1: **Glad you liked it!

**paige25: **I'm updating!

**PiperandLeoFan1: **Well . . . they _might _get back together. You'll just have to keep reading to find out. And you did give me the idea for that chapter. I was going to have them talk, but something about your review gave me an idea. So if you want to believe I wrote it just for you, then go ahead. Lol.

**XxTalented-x-CheesexX: **Lol. Thanks for all the compliments. I really try to keep the characters as true to themselves as possible. Otherwise, what's the point? As for blending Melinda into the group, that's from Charmed IM Rping for seven years. I'm glad you liked the explanation about the divorce; I wasn't sure how it was.

**wiccnaforever: **Glad you liked it!

So, okay, I know I've been bad about updating. But I think I've done pretty well. I mean, this is the third chapter in 2 days. That's good for me! Lol. All right, no more stalling. On to the chapter. Please enjoy, and please review!

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

Silence again.

Melinda was on her bed, leaning against her pillows, staring everywhere but at her parents. She felt sick to her stomach, and even a little scared.

Piper sat on the edge of Melinda's bed, while Leo stood at the end, arms crossed. The three of them had been sitting inside for the past five minutes, since Phoebe and Paige had left them alone.

"Melinda," Piper began. "We need to talk about this. What you're doing is dangerous. We need to get you help."

"I don't need help," Melinda argued.

Piper frowned. "You're slicing open your own skin with an athame."

"So?" Melinda snapped. "You used to cut, too."

"I didn't-" Piper cut off, glancing at Leo with a questioning glare.

Leo cleared his throat and turned away, moving to stare out the window.

Gritting her teeth, Piper glanced back to Melinda.

"Okay, uhm, yes. Yes, I did." Piper paused, chewing the inside of her cheek and coming up with plans to murder Leo.

"So why are you getting so worked up about it?" Melinda demanded, crossing her arms.

"Because it's a bad thing to do," Piper replied slowly. "I was wrong when I cut. I was young and I had some – problems at the time. But I got help and I stopped. I almost died, Melinda."

Melinda glanced up at Piper, startled. Leo had told her this, but hearing it directly from Piper made it sound that much worse.

At her daughter's expression, Piper nodded. "I cut too deep. Not because I meant to or wanted to. I don't really remember. I either slipped, or didn't realize what I was doing. My door was locked, too. If you're Aunt Prue hadn't broken in and found me, I would have died."

Melinda looked away, staring down at her bandaged wrists. She had several bandages on each, thanks to Phoebe and Paige cleaning and covering every fresh, recent, or scabbed slice.

"Look at me, Melinda," Piper said gently; taking her daughter's hand in hers.

Melinda reluctantly looked up at her mom with teary eyes.

"I know you're hurting, because I'm hurting, too. Losing Prue, the divorce-" Piper paused, remembering Leo was still by the window. She glanced at him, and saw he was watching her with a blank expression. She turned back to Melinda. "But we can deal with all of this. I promise. I don't know how, but I'll make it better. Okay? But we need to get you help and you need to stop cutting. For me, and for your life. Can you do that, Melinda? Will you see someone about this? Please."

Melinda nodded, not even having to think about it. She didn't want to die, and she didn't want to see her parents so worried and afraid. She'd never heard her mom use that tone of voice; it was filled with worry, fear, anxiety; and it was shaky, too. It took a lot to make her mom cry.

Piper smiled, hugging Melinda tightly. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Melinda whispered, closing her eyes and snuggling into her mom's embrace.

Piper watched her daughter sleep peacefully for one more second before letting the door click shut. She turned to Leo and took a deep breath, then let it out.

"You told her about my cutting?"

Leo nodded. "I'm sorry. You should have been the one to do it. But I thought, maybe it would get through to her, make her stop."

Piper nodded, crossing her arms. "I probably wouldn't have told her. So . . . thank you."

Leo nodded again. "So, what's your plan?"

Piper thought a moment. The best thing for Melinda would be to see a psychologist, and to have Leo around more. But there was one other thing bothering her daughter. How were they going to address that?

"Here these words,

Here my cry,

Spirits from the other side.

Come to me, I summon thee

Cross now the great divide."

Piper waited as patiently as she could, while Leo berated her and paced the attic.

"Piper, you know you can't see her yet. They won't let you. It's the rules. They-"

"Screw the rules, and screw Them. Leo, this is my daughter's _life _on the line. I'm getting Prue down here, one way or another."

Lights filled the circle of candles, and Penny Halliwell appeared before them.

"Hello Piper!" She said enthusiastically. "Leo," she said, giving him a scrutinizing once-over. She stepped out of the candles with open arms, smiling at Piper.

"Hold it right their, ghost lady. I was trying to reach Prue, and I want to see her."

Grams seemed to shrink back. "I know, dear. But you know the rul-" She cut off. The look Piper had given her at the mention of the world 'rules' was enough to make her shut up.

"Do you know about Melinda? What she's doing" Grams nodded, and Piper continued. "She's doing it because she lost her aunt, and then she lost her father. Months apart. Now you're going to get Prue down here, and she's going to visit with Melinda. Or I'm coming up There and dragging her dead Wiccan ass down here myself."

"Piper, seeing Prue will only make the hurt greater for Melinda. She's hurting because she lost Prue. Bringing Prue to see her will only keep her alive for Melinda. And doing that will make it harder to say good-bye again," Penny explained gently. Piper had a fiery temper, and she had to tread carefully.

Her words held power though, even if they were said calmly.

Piper sighed. "What am I going to do? She misses Prue so much." Pause. "So do I."

"I know you do, dear. And it's not as if you'll never see her again. But you just can't right now. And neither can Melinda."

"What if we wait until Melinda's better? Until after she's stopped cutting. And then can she see Prue? Can we all?"

Penny smiled gently. "I'll see what I can do."

Piper nodded, and hugged her. "Thank you."

"Any time, sweetheart. Any time."


	8. Shrinked

A/N: Sorry for the delay. I've been a bit busy. I have to go to sleep soon, so I'm only going to do shout-outs to those who had questions or specific comments this time because there are a lot of reviews, lol.

**paige25: **Leo couldn't heal Mel. It's not that simple. Even if he could heal her scars and cuts (which he can't), her cutting goes deeper than just the marks on her arms. It's emotional, mental, and physical. As for the length of the chapters, I do four pages on Microsoft Word. If I have a burst of inspiration, it's more. But that's my general limit.

**Halliwell-Piper: **Wow. Thanks! I'm so glad you like it!

**PiperandLeoFan101: **Mel and Prue were really, really close. Plus, it's more so a combination of her missing Prue and missing Leo. Piper, Phoebe, and Paige miss Prue, too, but they kind of keep it to themselves. It'll show more in the next few chapters how much they miss her, though. I'm going to work it in.

**LostWitch5: **Normally, I acknowledge everyone's reviews. Tonight, I have to cut it just those with specific comments and questions. As to Leo and Piper, their fate rests in my hands right now, lol.

**Kaaj: **As of right now, I'm not sure whether or not I'm actually going to bring Prue in. I'm still considering it.

To everyone else: I'm sorry for not giving you a shout-out. I have to go to sleep, and I want to get this updated before I do.

Okay, enjoy and please review!

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Melinda sat nervously in the black leather chair, staring anxiously at the white-haired man sitting across from her. She didn't exactly like the idea of telling a complete stranger her life's story ( while carefully editing out the witch who kills demons part.), especially about the cutting thing.

"So, Melinda. Do you mind if I call you Melinda?"

Melinda shook her head.

"I hear you're having some problems in your life at the moment. Would you like to tell me about them?"

The shrink knew perfectly well what she was doing to herself. _But he's going to be an ass and make me say it out loud_, Melinda thought miserably.

Shifting positions, she shrugged. "I guess."

Hah! Take that! Nice, subtle, vague answer.

The Good Doctor wasn't amused though, and frowned at her before writing something on his black clipboard with his ballpoint pen.

"Tell me about your problems, Melinda. I'm here to listen."

_No_, Melinda thought bitterly. _You're here because you're getting paid for it._

To him, though, she shrugged. "Just stuff."

Sighing, the shrink shifted in his seat. "Melinda, your parents sent you here because they're worried about you. And I can't help you if you don't talk to me." He was using a kind and gentle tone.

Melinda blinked at him. "I cut myself. Happy?"

The shrink frowned again. "Why would I be happy that you are doing yourself harm?" He made another note on his clipboard. "Now, can you tell me why you are cutting yourself?"

Melinda sighed, shifting in her seat uncomfortably. "I don't want to talk about it," she replied bitterly. Okay, so she'd agreed to stop. But did agreeing to stop mean she had to do this? She didn't like it at all.

"Melinda, talk to me."

If he said that one more time . . . and did he have to keep using her name?

Well, if talking to him meant she could get out of there, then fine.

"My aunt died. And then a few months later, my parents divorced. I was upset, teen angst and all. So I cut. Happy? Can I go now?"

The shrink's frown deepened – was that possible? – and he made more notes.

"How did your aunt die?"

Oh, no he did not –

"That's none of your business," Melinda snapped. "I don't even know why I'm talking to you. I can deal with this myself. Why do I have to be here?"

"You let your parents bring you here, so you must want to talk about it," the doctor pointed out.

Melinda laughed. "No. I didn't realize what coming here would mean. Now if you'll excuse me – " She stood and headed for the door, but the doctor was up and blocking her way before she could even grab the doorknob.

"Not until the session is over. And if you try to leave, I will make a note that you are a danger to yourself and others, and you will be sent to a hospital to recover. You'll stay there everyday, and be poked and prodded, as well as medicated and sent to daily meetings with a psychologist. Do you want that?"

He had her and he knew it. Miserably, Melinda sat back down.

"Now, please continue."

Melinda sighed. "My aunt was murdered. They haven't caught the person who did it."

"Did you see this happen?"

Melinda gave him a horrified look. "No."

"Were you close with her?"

"Yes?"

"How close?"

Melinda felt herself choke up, and she was barely able to say "Very."

This continued for a long time, what seemed like forever. He asked about Prue, about Leo, and why missing them had made her cut. She tried to reply as vaguely as she could, but he always forced her to elaborate.

In the end, he followed her out to the waiting room where Piper and Leo jumped up the second they saw the two.

"Melinda seems okay," he informed them. "She should come back for more sessions, twice a week. And you need to keep a close eye on her. Check her for new cuts every night, to make sure she hasn't started again. The worst thing possible would be if she started again."

"Thank you doctor," Piper said in a shaky voice.

The drive home was silent. At the Manor, Piper had Melinda go get washed up for dinner, while she and Leo spoke in the living room.

Dinner was also silent. Everyone – Piper, Phoebe, Paige, and Melinda (Leo had left earlier) – ate their food without saying a word.

Later that night, Piper went to Melinda's room to check her for new cuts. Melinda stood before her in barely any clothing, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"Do we have to do this?" she asked – almost begged – her mom.

Piper sighed. "I don't like it any more than you do, Melly. It's your body, and you're fourteen . . . I know this is really . . . awkward. But it's Dr. Kayne's orders. I'm sorry."

After Piper had seen that there were no new cuts, Melinda pulled her pajamas on and crawled in to bed.

"I'm so sorry, Melinda. I should have realized sooner. None of this would be happening," Piper said sadly, sitting on the edge of Melinda's bed.

Melinda shrugged. "I guess I should have come to you about how I felt."

Piper kissed her on the forehead and stood. "It will get easier. Good night, sweetheart."

"Night mom," Melinda replied. "I love you."

Piper paused at the door and smiled. "I love you, too."

She turned off the light, and shut the door.


	9. Old Habits

Hiiiiiiiii... Okay, wow. So it's been 6 years since I updated this. Yikes. I had some really loyal readers, and I want to apologize to you for the delay. I haven't logged on to in over 4 years. Mostly because I got really busy and had a lot going on, but also partly because I lost my access email and password and only recently rediscovered them.

With that said, I really don't remember where I was taking this storyline, so bare with me while I try to stumble through a chapter or two in search of a new plot.

Also, I'm changing some minor details: In chapter one, I say **Melinda** is 13. In another chapter, Piper says she is 14. I'm going to officially **change her age to 15**. Hope this clears up any earlier confusion regarding her age.

With that said, here is the long-awaited chapter 9 of Falling Apart!

(PS: I apologize if this chapter is a short, slow-filler sort of chapter. Like I said above, I've been out of the game and I need to steer the plot back into a new direction and it might take some filler chapters to do that).

...

Melinda had been seeing Dr. Kayne for over a month. The visits had gotten easier. It was still awkward and uncomfortable, but she was slowly learning how to open up to him. It had taken awhile, but she finally realized that he was just trying to help. It had also taken quite a few sessions for Melinda to realize that her parents and aunts did love her, and honestly wanted her to get better – they wouldn't have subjected her to these therapy sessions if they didn't.

Physically, she was slowly getting better. She hadn't cut in weeks. The temptation was there, but she'd abstained. Her mom, dad, and aunts were trying to keep her stress level down, which helped a little.

Mentally though, she felt drained. Leo was visitng more, which was nice, and he and Piper seemed to be getting along better, though Melinda could still see the strain and cautiousness between them. But she still missed her Aunt Prue desperately, and she still wasn't allowed to see her.

"Melinda-" Dr. Kayne called, as Melinda stood to leave after a particularly rough session.

Melinda paused, nervous, and lowered herself back into the cushy chair she had been sitting in.

"You're doing remarkably well," Dr. Kayne offered with a small smile. "I'm very proud of your progress."

_However. . . _Melinda thought to herself, sensing there was more the Good Doctor was not saying.

Dr. Kayne pursed his lips, as if thinking carefully how he wanted to word his next thought.

"But I feel you're still not coping with your aunt's death, or your parents divorce. You've come very far from that first day in my office. But I think... Well, I think we need to consider medication."

Melinda gaped at him, going pale. "M-medication? B-but you said you wouldn't medicate me! You said if I went to a hospital, they would medicate me until I was numb and that I'd be better if YOU treated me... That you wouldn't do that to me!"

Melinda was terrified of medication. She didn't really know why... Maybe it was the stories Piper had told her, of her days in an institution. Her mom had finally opened up to her about her own battle with cutting. Why she had done it, and how close she had some to killing herself, without meaning to. She'd told her about the institution and how horrible it was (though meeting Paige had been a bright side).

Melinda didn't want to feel numb and helpless, nor did she want to feel out of control of her own emotions. Or emotionally dead.

Dr. Kayne out up a placating hand and shook his head. "Now, Melinda. I _did _say those things and I still _mean _them. But I think a small dose of medication will help you immensely. Just a little bit. I promise."

Melinda gulped, but nodded.

...

The car ride home was silent and awkward. Both Piper and Leo went with Melinda, for moral support,ant neither was happy about the way the visit had gone.

Once home, Melinda sulked up to her room to work on homework. Her grades had suffered during her brief period of cutting. Not to mention the bullying at school, the loneliness of having no friends...

But her sessions with Dr. Kayne were helping and she had (after Piper forced her to) spoken to her teachers and gotten them to agree not to fail her if she worked twice as hard and did some extra credit work.

Piper watched Melinda head upstairs before collapsing in exhaustion on the couch. Leo remained standing, arms crossed.

"I don't like it, Leo," Piper admitted sullenly. "I don't want my fifteen year old daughter on crazy pills."

"They aren't crazy pills, Piper," Leo scolded. "They'll make her feel better. Make her happy again. Make her our little girl again"

Piper scowled at him. He didn't know what it was like. No one did. She shuddered at the memories of being in that cold, sterile institution. The fear of being locked in a small room, doped up on medicine, and alone. The demons hadn't helped, either.

...

Melinda sat on her bed, running her fingers over her bandaged wrists. Her eyes welled with tears. She felt so alone. She felt so scared.

She picked up the little orange bottle of pills that Piper had insisted they pick on the way home.

Anti-depressants. Dr. Kayne insisted she needed them. That while she wasn't cutting anymore, she still wasn't mentally stable. What did he know? He was a shrink. Did he ever need medication? Didn't he know how scary it was?

Slowly, almost painfully, she popped the pill bottle and shook out a small white pill. She stared at it for a long time, heart pounding, mouth dry. She licked her lips, went to pop the pill, hesitated.

Melinda breathed deeply, let it out, then brought the pill to her mouth. Her hands were shaking.

"I can't do it!" Melinda cried softly, dropping the pills down onto her bed and jumping away. She couldn't do it! She didn't want to take pills! Her heart was pounding a mile a minute; hands sweaty, she stood up and began pacing relentlessly – restlessly.

She choked back a sob, staring frantically around her room until her eyes fell on something shiny.

Shiny and sharp.

Without a thought, she lunged for the pair of scissors that had found it's way back into her room.

She fell to the floor in a tangle of limbs, holding tightly to the scissor. Tears filled her eyes, spilling down her pale face. Cutting would be easier than taking medication. She couldn't take medication. She wouldn't!

She brought the sharp scissor blade to her wrist.


	10. Old Demons, New Scars

Hey everyone! I'm back for another chapter! I hope everyone is enjoying this. Like I said, bear with me while I re-direct the plot. Six years is a long time and I've forgotten where I was going with this! But I've got some ideas...

I'd like to thank **Peanut-4ever **for being an amazingly loyal reader. Your review almost brought me to tears (happy ones, of course)! So thank you! This chapter is dedicated to you!

...

"Scissor!"

Melinda gasped, looking up to find Paige in her doorway, blue orbs fading as she gripped the handle of the scissor, a look of shock and grim determination on her face.

Melinda jumped up from her spot on the floor, but her legs refused to hold her and she tumbled backwards onto her bed, shaking like a leaf.

What had she been thinking? How could she even _consider _cutting again? Her wrists throbbed just with the idea of doing something so horrible. After everything Piper had told her...

She glanced up at Paige, a guilty look on her face.

Paige put the scissor down on Melinda's dresser and walked to her, arms crossed.

"What were you thinking?" Paige scolded – more fear in her voice than anger, though. "After all the progress you've made? After everything your mom told you?" _After everything I went through, _she added silently.

Tears welled in Melinda's eyes. She bit back a sob and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Aunt Paige. I'm so sorry. I just.. I just..."

Paige sighed and sat beside Melinda, wrapping her in a tight hug.

"I just couldn't take those anti-depressants. I don't want to be drugged up. It scared me and I – I panicked!" Melinda admitted. "The stress... I shouldn't have let it get to me but I just... I don't know!"

"Shhhh," Paige soothed. "It's okay, Melly. I understand. I..." She paused, swallowing her words. She hadn't spoken to anyone about her stint in the institution, not in a long time. She and Piper had discussed it at length over the years. And Phoebe and Leo knew, of course. But to tell Melinda now? The poor girl was traumatized enough!

But wouldn't hiding it make it worse?

Melinda sniffled, glancing curiously up at her aunt. She could sense Paige's hesitation. Paige frowned and sighed, letting Melinda go and turning on the bed to face her niece. She tucked one leg under the other and sighed again.

"Melinda... I never told you about.. how I first met your mom and Aunt Phoebe and Prue."

Confused, Melinda tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Drying her tears, she asked, "Wasn't it a few years ago? Like.. Before I was born? Mom told me this story."

Paige bit her lip. "Not quite... There's more to it than that."

Taking a deep breath, Paige launched into her story. She wasn't sure how Piper would feel about this, but she felt she owed Melinda the truth. She had had too many bad things happen, and too many secrets had been kept. It was time.

When she was done, Melinda stared at Paige with wide eyes.

Paige grimaced. "You deserved the truth, Melly. Your mom would kill me if you knew... But you deserved to know. Now you see why we're all so worried about you? Piper and I have BOTH been there and we don't want that for you."

Melinda nodded once, eyeing her prescription bottle.

"Take them, Mel. Your doctor wouldn't have given them to you if you weren't meant to take them. He knows what's best for you."

"Like your doctors did?" Melinda asked sarcastically, referring to the orderlies that were actually demons and had tried their hardest to kill Paige and Piper so many years ago.

Paige frowned. "Don't, Melinda. That was very different."

Melinda scowled, but she picked up her prescription bottle and popped one of the little white pills, dry swallowing it, then shuddering.

Paige sighed, hugging her niece once more. "Get some rest, okay? Dinner's in an hour."

Melinda nodded, watching her go.

...

"You told her what?"

Paige winced at the high shriek in Piper's voice. She'd expected this kind of reaction, but that didn't make it any easier.

"She deserved to know, Piper," Paige insisted. "She needs to know what we went through, so she doesn't make the same mistakes we did."

"That was different, Paige," Piper snapped, throwing her hands up in frustration. "Demons were involved then! We didn't know we were witches, or sisters for that matter."

Paige scowled. "Right. I _know _that, Piper. But that doesn't change the fact that she _deserves _to know the truth – the whole truth."

Piper sighed, shaking her head in dismay. "I know, Paige. I know. I just... I guess I wanted to protect her from what we went through. I didn't want to scare her."

"Well... Maybe scaring her will keep her from cutting again. It could save her life."

Piper hated to admit it, but she agreed.

...

After Paige had left, Melinda had decided to take a nap. She curled up under her covers and rested her head on her pillow, staring at the ceiling. A nap seemed elusive.

And yet every second that passed by, she felt more and more sleepy. And despite struggling to keep her eyes open, Melinda could feel herself drifting.

_Maybe it's that damn pill? _Melinda wondered, remembering briefly what her doctor had told her about fatigue and anti-depressants, before giving up the fight and letting sleep take her.

_Melinda found herself wondering a deserted hallway. The place felt cold and clinical. Doors lined either side of the hallway, each closed and with only a small window at the top center. _

"_Hello?" Melinda called, shaking slightly. "Is anybody here?"_

_A soft shuffling caused her to jump, spinning around – to find nothing there._

"_Okay, this isn't funny!" Despite the false bravado she tried to place in her tone, Melinda's voice shook with each word._

_A chuckle (well, it sounded like a chuckle, at least) sounded from behind Melinda, and she spun around again to find no one there._

"_Seriously! Not. Funny." Melinda emphasized every word, finding anger quickly replacing fear. Where was everyone? What was going on?_

_"This should shut you up, you stupid little witch."_

_Melinda spun at the sound a voice, whispering into her ear. A man stood behind her, an athame raised, its tip gleaming in the dim fluorescent lights._

_Melinda screamed, throwing her hands in front of her face to block the attack. The athame slashed across her arms and a stinging pain gripped her._

_The man grinned wickedly. "I'm finally going to finish what I started."_

Melinda gasped, waking in a cold sweat. Her heart was pounding. The fear she'd felt in the dream gripped her. It had felt so real! Her arm even stung from where the dream athame had gotten her!

Feeling cold, Melinda looked at her arm, hoping to reassure herself that it had just been a dream. She froze in fear, eyes widening. There was a long slash, healed and scabbed over, on her arm.

It was in the exact same spot as in her dream.

And her sheets were stained with dried brown blood.


	11. Divine Intervention

Hey everyone! Sorry again for the long wait! (That goes double for Peanut-4ever!). I'm going to try to wrap this fanfic up soon. It's been about 8 years in the making, and it's time you all got to see how this trilogy wraps up!

One side note: Melinda's middle name is Penelope, after Grams. It would normally be Prudence, but keep in mind Prue passed away after Melinda was born.

So, without further adieu:

Shaking, Melinda ran frantically around her room, grabbing towels, gauze, medical tape, and antiseptic. Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest, she was surprised no one downstairs could hear it. She had to clean up, she had to cover up – her mind was racing, a thousand thoughts at once.

In the rush back to her bed, Melinda's foot caught on her bed sheets, which had come half off her bed. She yelped and went down, dropping everything.

_Shit, _she cursed herself, eyeing her door tentatively, gasping. Blood oozed from her arms, cascading to the floor and staining her clothing and sheets.

One minute passed. Then another. Then two more. When no knock sounded, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Melinda, is everything okay in there?"

Melinda tensed, eyes going wide. "I-I'm fine!" she called back to Piper, moving swiftly but silently as she gathered everything up, set it gently on her bed, and set to work, using a damp towel to wash off the blood on her arms. She hissed at the sting, unable to help herself.

"Mel, you know how I feel about you keeping your door closed," Piper scolded, the doorknob twisting.

Melinda stood so quickly, she fell again, in her rush to block the door.

"Can't I have some privacy?" She snapped, leaning her weight against the door. "I just showered! I'm... I'm naked! Go away!"

There was a long moment of silence; so long, Melinda was positive Piper had left. She relaxed her stance, and backed off the door.

Suddenly, the doorknob turned again. Cursing, Melinda turned the lock. The doorknob rattled.

"Melinda Penelope Halliwell!" Piper snapped. "You open this door right this instant!"

Melinda winced at the use of her full name, but she couldn't let Piper in. Not until she had cleaned up. She wasn't sure why she felt compelled to hide this; it had been a demon's doing, not her own. But for some reason, she had convinced herself that her mom wouldn't believe her, and that hiding it was for the best.

With the blood mopped up, Melinda went on to using antiseptic. She could hear Piper pounding on the door, then frantic yelling as she told Paige, Phoebe, and Leo what was going on.

"Melinda."

Melinda paused. Because this time, the voice was in her room. And this time, the voice was not yelling, accusing, or demanding. This voice was not Piper's, nor Leo's. It wasn't Piper or Phoebe either – they were all still on the other side, yelling at each other about the best way to handle the situation.

Melinda turned, tears already in her eyes. When she spotted the speaker, the tears poured free.

"Aunt Prue."

Prue smiled. Her long black hair fell almost mid-back. She wore a white funeral dress that touched the floor, and her feet were bare.

"H-How?" Melinda gasped, running and hugging her so tightly, the cuts on her arms ached, but she didn't care.

"They let me come see you," Prue explained, then paused. "Well.. 'let' might be the wrong word..." She chuckled, and Melinda couldn't help but laugh, too.

"MELINDA! OPEN THE DOOR!"

Prue glanced up at Piper's shriek. She lifted her hand, and waved it at the door. The door was encased in blue light, and suddenly, silence.

"That's better. No interruptions." Prue smiled, guiding Melinda to her bed to sit. "They can't hear us, and they can't use magic to get in."

"Aunt Prue, I've missed you so much. You have no idea."

Prue frowned. "Actually, I do. I've been watching over you, Mels. I'm the one who let on to Piper that you might be hurting yourself. I thought you were getting better, too. I don't understand."

"I didn't do this!" Melinda argued. "You've got to believe me, Aunt Prue! This was... this was a demon or something. I fell asleep and I was dreaming of this place. It looked like a hospital or something, but it wasn't. And this man attacked me. He cut me, and told me he was going to finish what he started. I swear I didn't do this! Please, please believe me!"

As Melinda spoke, the expression on Prue's face grew more and more grave. She squeezed Melinda's hand.

"I believe you, Mels," Piper said firmly. "I think I know who did this to you, but you've got to tell Piper. I think it's the demon who attacked her and Paige in that asylum all those years ago."

Melinda shook her head. "No. No, I can't tell them. They won't believe me! They'll just think I relapsed. Please, Aunt Prue, don't make me tell them."

Prue's expression softened and she hugged Melinda. "Sweetie, she's your mom. I know she can be tough on you sometimes, but she'll believe you. I promise you. And if you don't tell her, this demon will only get stronger, and you could get hurt. Seriously hurt."

Melinda sobered at this. She sighed and sat straight. "Fine, but does it have to be right now? Can't I do it on my own terms? I mean, what if it was just a vivid dream?"

Prue pursed her lips and frowned. She didn't like the idea, but Melinda had the Halliwell stubbornness. You couldn't force her to do something she didn't want to do.

"Fine. But promise you'll tell them, or I will." Prue stood, tucking Melinda's hair behind her ear.

Melinda nodded, standing and hugging Prue fiercely. "Will I get to see you again?"

"Of course, when the time is right," Prue assured her. She hugged her back, then stepped away. "I love you, Mels." She disappeared in a swirl of white lights, just as the door glowed blue again.

As if someone turned the dial up on a radio, Melinda could hear the chaos outside her room again; loud, panicked voices.

Quickly, she wrapped her arms in gauze and tape, hide the supplies, and yanked on a bathrobe. She had just finished wrapping her hair in a towel and hiding the blood-splattered sheets when blue light filled her room, and Piper and Leo orbed in together, Paige and Phoebe next to them.

"Melinda! What the hell!" Piper demanded.

"I told you," Melinda huffed. "I was showering! How dare you try to invade my privacy!"

"You _lost _the right to privacy when you started cutting and tried to hide it from us!" Piper snapped, crossing her arms and glaring at her daughter.

"Piper," Paige reprimanded.

Phoebe frowned. "What she means, Melinda, is – I'm sorry, but we are going to be more worried about you now, and we are going to need you to keep your door open more, and tell us what you're doing more. When you lock the door and don't let us in, well, it makes us suspicious."

"So I've lost your trust?" Melinda demanded to know. "I'm hurt and – if you ask Dr. Kayne – clinically depressed, and that means I lose your trust and my right to privacy?"

"We're worried about you, Mel," Leo insisted. "We just want you to be okay."

Melinda scowled, shaking. She kept waiting for them to grab the robe and yank up the sleeves, or to grab the towel off and see her hair wasn't even wet. Worse, she kept waiting for them to spot the bloody sheets and clothing – some of which was not tucked under the bed well.

"Well I'm fine," Melinda insisted. "Can I please go to bed now? Or do you want to yell at me some more?"

Phoebe and Paige exchanged worried glances, but went to the door, unlocked it, and stepped out.

Leo tugged on Piper's arm and, reluctantly, Piper let him lead her out. Leo pointedly left the door open.

Melinda waited until they were gone before closing the door and slumping against it. Shaken, she dropped the towel and robe, and rubbed her bandaged wrists. She was starting to think Aunt Prue was right. Maybe she should have just come clean.

Now, it was too late.


	12. Confession Part II

Hey everyone! You'll be happy to know that I'm finally feeling inspired, so here's another chapter (Peanut-4ever, are you shocked? Two chapters posted, so close together? Lol.)

Enjoy!

The next morning, Melinda was back to wearing long sleeves, looking pale, and sulking. She had had another dream, this one more vivid, and worse. She had woken with long, deep gashes down each wrist. Her sheets had been caked in blood, and she was shaking so badly, she had barely been able to get out of bed to clean herself up.

Now, she sat at the breakfast table, surrounded by Piper, Paige, and Leo. Phoebe had already gone to work. She tried to eat, but had no appetite. She played with her food, mashing it with her fork, and avoiding eye contact with everyone.

"Melinda, aren't you hungry?" Leo questioned, suspicious. He eyed the long sleeves, then frowned at Melinda.

"No," she snapped, though her tone lacked its usual fire. "Dr. Kayne said the pills would do that," she explained, her excuse for not eating and being a little sulky. Truthfully, she hadn't taken a single pill since the first one. She had them tucked into her night table drawer, and had no intention of taking another pill ever again. They made her sleepy, and right now, with this demon after her – because she had finally admitted to herself that this wasn't just some vivid dream – she couldn't afford to sleep.

Piper scowled, looking ready to snap at Melinda, possibly say something she would later regret. Leo grabbed her hand and squeezed. She shut her mouth and frowned at him, seeming to deflate. She nodded, and he smiled.

The rest of breakfast was uneventful; they ate in silence, and Melinda escaped to her room as quickly as she could.

She showered, dressed, and cleaned her wounds. Then she paced. She walked back and forth in her room for nearly twenty minutes before collapsing on her bed. She was bone tired, drained, and shaky from blood loss. All she wanted to do was curl up in bed and sleep.

When she felt her eyes shifting closed, she snapped them open, stood quickly, and began pacing again. She couldn't sleep. She couldn't.

But she had to. Oh, she had to.

Defeated, Melinda went to her door, opening it slowly and quietly. She listened hard, praying Piper was still down in the kitchen. When she didn't hear anything, she crept silently up to the attic and to the Book of Shadows. There had to be something there that would help her, some way she could fix this without involving her parents and aunts.

After about half an hour of flipping through the Book, it became obvious that she couldn't solve the problem on her own. Every time she found a spell that she felt might help, the Book flipped itself closed.

"Thanks a lot, Aunt Prue," Melinda muttered. It was obvious Prue was intervening – her way of telling Melinda she had to ask for help this time.

"_Your parents and aunts have dealt with this before. Ask them for help."_

Melinda scowled at the disembodied voice, but what could she do? If Prue wouldn't let her look at the Book long enough to peruse the spells and potions she needed, what choice did she have?

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Melinda made her way down to the second floor. She started for the steps, to go downstairs and find Piper, when she heard Paige in her bedroom.

Biting her lip in indecision, Melinda turned for Paige's room, paused to decide, then nodded and went to her Aunt's bedroom. She hesitated before knocking.

"Come in!"

Melinda opened the door slowly, still feeling unsure and – above all – scared.

"Hey Mel," Paige said, smiling softly at her niece.

Melinda tried to smile back, but couldn't. She shut the door behind her and crossed her arms nervously.

"What's up? Paige asked cautiously, a bad feeling in her gut.

"You said that I could take to you, and it would stay between us," Melinda finally choked out. "You said we wouldn't have to involve mom. Is that still... I mean, can I talk to-to you?"

Paige softened, walking to Melinda, hugging her, and guiding her to the bed, where they both sat. "Of course, sweetie. You can always talk to me." She paused, considering her next words. "I can't guarantee that I won't involve your mom, though. That depends on what you need to tell me."

Melinda had been afraid of that. But Aunt Paige still seemed like the best one to go to with this. If nothing else, maybe she could figure out a way to tell Piper without Piper going off the deep end. If Melinda showed her mom the cuts, she would automatically assume the worst.

"I need to tell you something," Melinda began, her hands cold and shaky. "But please, hear me out before you say anything, okay?"

Paige frowned but nodded. "Of course."

Taking a deep breathe, Melinda uncrossed her arms. She hesitated, still uncertain, before she quickly (so she couldn't change her mind) rolled her sleeves up and peeled away the gauze, exposing the very obviously new, raw-looking cuts.

"Melinda!" Paige gasped, grabbing her arms gently to examine the wounds. She looked Melinda in the eye, chocking back the accusations she had been about to voice.

"It's not what it looks like, Aunt Paige!" Melinda defended herself, launching right into the explanation. She left nothing out, not even the part concerning Prue.

When she was finished, Melinda took a gulp, her throat dry, and glanced at Paige to gauge her reaction. Paige looked shaken.

"Why didn't you tell us this sooner? Like last night when it first happened?" Paige demanded, though she sounded more scared than angry.

Melinda shrugged, tears building in her eyes. "I-I don't know. I was scared. I thought you guys would think I had relapsed. I figured you wouldn't believe me. I figured you'd jump to conclusions without even letting me explain.

Paige felt ashamed, because Melinda was right. Chances were, she and her sisters would have begun screaming and reprimanding before pausing to get Melinda's side of the story. It would have been out of concern, not anger of course. But still, it would have been wrong and unfair.

"I'm glad you told me," Paige said, her tone sincere. It felt like Melinda trusted her, and she felt grateful. "But we do have to tell the others," she added.

Melinda slumped but nodded. "I know. I figured. But-" she paused, licking her lips. "I told you because you know how mom is. Even dad. They really would have reacted the way I said if they'd seen the cuts. They will assume the worst. I was hoping you could help me explain." She paused, feeling out of breath, like she had run a mile. "I'm scared."

Paige blinked back tears, hugging Melinda tightly. "Of course!"

It wouldn't be that easy, but she would help Melinda. She had to. She would _not _let what happened to her and Piper happen to her niece.

"I don't understand," Piper huffed, pacing the sunroom like a mad woman. "Why would she freeze us out like this? We just want to help her!"

Leo signed, sitting back in his chair. "She's a teenage girl, Piper, and she's scared. We have been pretty harsh on her."

"Harsh?" Piper snapped, stopping to glare at Leo. "She's _cutting _her arms open with an _athame and razors, _Leo. How do you propose we treat her?"

"If your sisters and Grams had treated you like this, what would you have done?" Leo asked, giving her a pointed look.

His words hit Piper like a ton of bricks. She collapsed into a chair, eyes wide with shock. She hadn't thought of it that way. Now that she did, she realized how wrong she was. How harsh her reactions were.

"Oh no," she whispered, frowning at the floor. She was forcing Melinda to retreat, just as she had so many years ago. She was being horrible and unfair. She was forgetting how it felt to be in Melinda's position. The fear. The loneliness. The sadness. She was acting the part of the Parent. To a certain extent, that was good. But it was also going to have some negative consequences.

"Oh no, Leo," Piper sighed, glancing at him. "I'm just pushing her further away, aren't I?"

Leo nodded. "We need to be the adults in this situation, true. She needs guidance, discipline, and structure. But we also can't treat her like she did something wrong, like she's a horrible person for what she's done. That won't help."

Piper ran her hand through her hair, hating herself for the way she had treated Melinda. She had to apologize, before she lost her daughter forever.

"Uh, am I interrupting?"

"No, Paige, what's up?" Leo asked, realizing Piper needed a moment to collect herself.

"We have a problem," Paige replied, biting her lip. "A big one."

Piper turned her full attention on Paige, her words sinking in.

The fear on Paige's face said it all.

"What's wrong with Melinda?" Piper demanded, standing quickly. Leo, too, stood and stepped closer to the sisters.

"Well, it's actually bigger than that," Paige admitted. "And demonic."


	13. Don't Let Go

Hey everyone! So I'm trying to wrap this up. I'm not sure how many more chapters that will mean. Maybe 2 or 3? I'm also working on some new fics, so I'll finally be getting new material up after 8 years.

I want to thank Peanut-4ever for her continued support and reviews. I hope everyone else who is reading this is continuing to enjoy it, and please review!

...

Piper, Phoebe, and Paige convened in the attic. Piper began work on the most powerful vanquishing potion she had ever attempted. They still didn't know exactly what kind of demon they were dealing with, so she was pulling out all the stops, just to be prepared.

Paige was flipping through the Book of Shadows, hoping to find answers. She had a vicious stress headache, and kept rubbing her temples as she flipped pages.

Phoebe paced, feeling useless. Piper and Paige were the ones who had dealt with this. She had been on the outside looking in. She felt useless.

"I'm going to go check on Melinda," Phoebe said abruptly. She left the attic without waiting for her sisters' response. She paused outside Melinda's room, then knocked hesitantly.

"Come in," Melinda croaked.

When Phoebe opened the door, she had use the frame to support herself, shocked by how bad Melinda looked.

Melinda was curled up near her headboard, sitting with her knees tucked to her chin. Her long brown hair was limp, the soft waves lifeless. Her skin was pale and glistened with sweat. She looked like she was shaking, and her eyes were bloodshot and she had dark circles and bags. Her lips were cracked and red, like she'd been biting them.

And her wrists... Phoebe flinched, seeing the angry scars and fresh cuts, taking a shuddering breath. She composed herself before sitting in front of Melinda on the bed.

"How are you holding up, sweetie?" She tucked a stray piece of hair behind Melinda's ear and held her niece's hand tightly.

Melinda shrugged, avoiding eye contact. After Paige had left her, she had had to fight sleep. Sleep meant that demon, that awful place, and more fresh cuts. She was scared she would never get better, and she was terrified this demon would kill her. She had figured Paige would go to Piper and Phoebe – honestly, a part of her had hoped she would. But she also felt betrayed; she felt like Paige should have helped her, should have done more to talk to Piper without giving the whole thing away.

Then she felt guilty. Because of course Paige had had to disclose the whole truth. How else could they fix this?

"We're working on a vanquishing potion," Phoebe said softly, hoping to reassure the terrified girl. "We're going to take care of this, I promise."

Melinda nodded, not convinced but trying to be for Phoebe's sake.

Phoebe sighed softly, realizing this was hopeless. Melinda would never be able to relax, or feel safe again, until this demon was gone. For good.

Suddenly, a static hum filled the air. Phoebe frowned, looking around, on alert. Melinda tensed as well, feeling numb. The noise increased, both in volume and intensity, until Phoebe had to cover her ears.

Melinda shrieked, gripping the iron headboard tightly. "NO!"

Phoebe gasped, eyes widening at the swirling vortex forming behind Melinda, yanking at her.

"Melinda!" Phoebe cried, grabbing her wrist and holding tight. But it felt like Melinda was covered in grease, and she kept slipping. "Melinda, hold on!"

"Aunt Phoebe!" Melinda cries, hysterical.

"Hold on!" Phoebe yelled, wondering desperately where her sisters were. How could they not hear the commotion?

Melinda shrieked, her grip going lax. "Aunt Phoebe, help!" Tears streamed down her face. "Don't let go!"

"I won't, I promise!" Phoebe yelled, holding tight, as tight as she could.

But Melinda slipped from her grasp.

Something slammed into Phoebe from behind. She cried out in pain, her grip loosening completely. She tried to call for Melinda, the last thing she did before she crumbled to the floor and lost consciousness.

...

"Phoebe, come on sweetie, wake up."

Phoebe slowly came to, grimacing in pain. Piper and Paige helped her up, and she placed a hand tentatively on the back on her head.

"Ow," she groaned, sinking onto Melinda's bed.

"Are you okay?" Paige asked, at the same time that Piper yelled for Leo.

"Help Phoebe," Piper insisted when Leo appeared, and he set to work.

"What happened?" Paige asked, sitting beside Phoebe and putting an arm around her.

Phoebe chocked back tears, shaking her head. "I lost her. I tried to hold on.. I promised I wouldn't let her go, and I failed her."

Piper looked panicked. "What? What happened? Tell us everything!"

Phoebe explained, trying to remember all the details. Everything was important.

After, the room was silent.

"He took her to the hospital," Paige finally said.

"What? But, how?" Piper asked, sounding dazed.

"It must be an alternate reality," Leo replied It was the first time he had spoken. "Like her dreams. He must be in some kind of alternate reality, and he took her to the psychiatric hospital." He glanced at Piper and then Paige, knowing this would probably bring up bad memories for them.

Piper paced. "We have to get her back. We can't let him hurt her."

They all stood and made their way back to the attic. No words were spoken because none were needed: They would finish the potion, write a spell for back-up, and then go after Melinda.

...

When Melinda finally came to, she was lying on the floor of the same sterile and deserted hospital as she had been to in her dreams. She sat up shakily, leaning heavily on her hands. Her vision was blurry, and it took several minutes before she could stand. And even then, she stumbled. She used the wall to hold herself up, wincing at the pain in her whole body.

"Well, hello, Sleeping Beauty," purred a smooth voice.

Melinda looked up and recoiled. The demon, still in his orderly uniform, stepped from the shadows, holding an athame, light glinting off its blade as he played with it.

"What do you want from me?" She demanded, trying to sound brave when she felt just the opposite.

The demon's smile was wicked and cruel as he slowly took steps toward her. "You, witch, of course." He paused, cocking his head at her. His eyes were so dark, they might as well have been black. "Your mother and aunt escaped me. No one had ever managed that before. It both infuriated and intrigued me. It wasn't until after that I realized I had two of the infamous Charmed Ones within my grasp."

Melinda processed this. _No one had ever managed that before_. "You've been doing this for years," she deducted.

He chuckled. "More like decades." He twirled the athame, then tossed it in the air and caught it. "Have you any idea how many witches come through here, with no idea what they are? They discover their powers and, terrified of what they can do, spill their guts to someone who thinks they are crazy" He chuckled again. "Then they get committed, and no one ever believes them when they say they are being stalked. No one questions them when they cry and pout, insisting demons exist and are trying to kill them."

Melinda was horrified. This demon had been praying on young, innocent, and scared witches for who knew how long. He had taken a position of power at an institution filled with the powerless. And he had killed them.

"Then those stupid Charmed Ones came along." His expression darkened. "The only ones who could ever have survived. And they escaped. Twice" His eyes flashed. "Not only are you a perfect target, but you're also great bait."

Melinda gasped. "No! Don't you dare!" She pushed off the wall, trying to appear fierce and strong, not scared out of her mind and weak.

The demon laughed, a wicked and cold sound. "I don't think you are in any position to stop me.

Faster then Melinda could blink, the demon was before her. He pushed her into a wall, and she couldn't move – even after he had let her go. She was stuck, as if glued to the wall. Her arms were up, wrists out. She couldn't move an inch, though she struggled to, as hard as she could.

"In fact, I'm going to ensure you are in no position to do anything ever again." He lifted the athame, running it down Melinda's cheek. Blood bloomed in its wake, dripping down her face. He placed the tip at her neck and she went still, eyes wide with fear.

He moved back one step, pausing to admire her, a grin of triumph on his face. He lifted the athame and, without hesitation, he slit both of Melinda's wrists – right over all the major veins and arteries. And deep. Deeper than she had ever cut before.

The gasp that escaped her was more of a wheeze. Melinda stared, wide-eyed, at the demon, then her eyes fell to her wrists, blood gushing from the wounds and making tracks down her arms, and dripping to the floor.

Within minutes, the blood loss was intense and absolute.

Within minutes, everything went black.


	14. Gone

A/N: Hey guys! Another night with two chapters posted. Shocked? Haha. So, this chapter had a vanquishing spell... I used to be great at the rhyming but I'm a little out of practice so forgive me for the crappy spell!

We're nearing the end of this fic, too. I'm so thrilled that I got over my writer's block, and have finally been able to work on completing this story. It's been eight years in the making, and I feel really satisfied with the direction it has gone in. And I mean the whole trilogy, to be honest. When I first started Breaking Point, I never could have imagined the direction it would go, and where it would end up.

So I hope you enjoy this chapter. You're all gonna kill me when you read the end... Especially since this is the last chapter for tonight (considering I've been writing for about 2 hours!).

...

When Piper, Phoebe, and Paige appeared in the Los Angeles Psychiatric Institution – or, the alternate reality version of it, it was dark and deserted.

Melinda was nowhere in sight, but the wall to their left was dripping blood, a dark puddle on the floor.

Piper swayed, gasping for breath. Shock hit her hard, weighing her down. Phoebe and Paige helped her stay on her feet.

"Piper, you have to stay strong. We'll get her back safely," Phoebe insisted, though she wasn't too sure of it herself.

"Hello, witches."

At once, they all looked up and down the hall. The demon was leaning casually against the wall, playing with a bloody athame.

"You bastard," Piper snarled, throwing her hands up to blow him up. He blinked out, and back, closer to them this time.

"Now, now. Kill me, and you'll never find your precious daughter before it's too late," he simpered, smirking at the helpless look on Piper's face.

"If you hurt her..." Piper snarled.

The demon chuckled, admiring the blood on the athame. He winked at them, then threw it. Phoebe ducked and Paige stepped aside, while Piper froze it and grabbed it out of the air.

The demon scowled, angered. "Stupid witches." He formed a fireball in his hand, then another in the other hand. He threw one at Piper and one at Paige. Piper dropped the athame to freeze the fireball while Paige orbed out and back.

While they were distracted, the demon blinked in, grabbed the athame and Phoebe, and blinked farther away from them.

"Phoebe!" Paige cried. "Athame!" She called, hand out expectantly – but nothing happened.

"Paige," the demon called seductively, enticingly. "You were fun to play with," he said with a cruel smirk, referring to Paige's time in the institution.

She gulped, stepping back.

"Don't let him get in your head," Piper snapped, trying again to freeze him. But it didn't work.

"You're powers won't work. This is my reality, witches. What I say goes and I've decided your powers give you an unfair advantage," the demon informed them. He held the athame to Phoebe's throat. "This is one battle you won't win. I'm going to finish what I started," he snarled, eyeing the two witches who had bested him, who had gotten away.

"That's what you think," Phoebe snapped, yanking him forward and throwing her elbow backward into his gut at the same time. A second late, she stomped down on his foot with her spiked heel. He yelped and released her. She grabbed his arm and tugged with all her might, flinging him up and over, slamming him down onto his back and yanking the athame free while he was winded.

"This is for my sisters." She stabbed him in the gut, digging the knife deep. He howled in rage. "And this is for my niece," she continued, motioning for Paige to throw the potion and she leaped out of its way.

The potion bottle shattered at the demon's side, and flames erupted, causing him to shriek in horror and pain.

"Spell!" Piper demanded, as Phoebe ran back to her sister's.

"Out of this world and out of reality

Through time and space, let this spell erase.

Consume this demon in flames of fatality

Never again to torment we sisters three

As we wish, so mote it be!"

The demon screamed, writhing in agony. He let out one last anguished cry before exploding, demon goo splattering all over the place.

"He's gone." Paige sounded stunned. After all these years – all the pain, all the memories – the demon was gone. Vanquished. They were silent for a minute. It was over.

"Melinda," Phoebe finally said, bringing them out of their trance. "We have to find her..." She trailed off, eyeing the pool of blood with concern.

...

It took what felt like forever to find Melinda. She was curled up on the floor, down one of the narrow hallways. Her hair covered her face, and her arms were surrounded by a pool of blood.

She wasn't moving.

"Melinda!" Piper yelled, running and dropping to her daughter's side.

"We have to get her to Leo, he can heal her," Paige said, grabbing her sister's hands. "Piper, hold Melinda's hand. We have to move, fast."

Piper was shocked, dazed, but she heard Paige and grabbed hold of Melinda and her sisters. Paige recited the spell, and the hospital dissolved. They were back at the Manor.

"Leo!" All three of them screamed.

When Leo saw Melinda, he looked like he was going to be sick. He set right to work healing Melinda.

Melinda weakly opened her eyes. "Mom?"

Piper, who hadn't moved from her side, ran her fingers through Melinda's hair. "I'm here, sweetie, I'm here."

Melinda licked her lips, the blue and white lights from Leo healing her so bright, almost blinding. "I l-love you," she croaked, saying her good-byes.

"No!" Piper cried. "You're going to be okay, Melly. You'll be fine – You have to be fine! Don't say goodbye – Don't you dare!"

Phoebe and Paige held each other, standing slightly back. They exchanged nervous looks. Both had tears in their eyes. Their expressions said it all – maybe they had been too late.

Melinda tried to open her eyes, but she felt so tired. Cold, too.

"I'm s-sorry for everything I p-p-put you and dad through," she managed, shivering. "And Aunt P-Phoebe and P-Paige, too."

"It's okay, Melinda," Piper replied, tears streaming down her face. "You're okay. You'll be fine."

Melinda shook her head, ever so slightly. "I l-love..."

And then she gasped, let it out, and became still.

...

"Melinda."

Silence.

"Melinda"

Silence

"Melinda, open your eyes."

Finally, Melinda came to. She stood, feeling better than she had in months. She felt healthy, well rested. Her body felt strong, not weak from blood loss. Her arms didn't ache or twinge, as they usually did from the cutting.

Then she noticed her surroundings and frowned. Light. Bright light, everywhere she looked.

A figure emerged from the light, shrouded by shadows. It wasn't until the figure stepped close enough that Melinda realized it was Prue.

"Aunt Prue? What happened? Where are we? What are you doing here?" Melinda asked, dread filling her. "Where's my mom? Aunt Phoebe? Aunt Paige?" Panic started settling in. "Dad? Dad was just here... Where did everyone go?"

"I'm so sorry, Mels." Prue spoke softly, taking Melinda's hands in her own. "There's no easy way to say this. No way to say it gently, or to prepare you."

Melina felt drained all of a sudden. "Prepare me for what?"

Prue stroked her hair. "I'm sorry, but you're dead."


	15. Sacrifices

A/N: Hey guys! Well.. Technically, this is it! The final chapter of Falling Apart, the final story in the Breaking Point Trilogy. I've been debating one final chapter, more of a "6 weeks later/6 months later" epilogue kind of thing. Yes? No? You tell me!

As always, thanks to Peanut-4ever for the support and constant reviewing! I truly appreciate your support.

So, without further adieu, here is the final chapter of Falling Apart:

...

"What?" Melinda gasped, nearly collapsing from shock and grief.

"Well, technically you're dying," Prue clarified. "Not dead yet." She stepped forward, and took Melinda's hands in her own. She was silent for a long time, giving Melinda a chance to process all of this.

Melinda finally forced herself to calm down. "What about my mom? And my aunts?" The panic almost overwhelmed her again.

"Shh, it's okay," Prue reassured her. "They're all fine. They vanquished the demon," she said soothingly, tucking a strand of hair behind Melinda's ear. "Everyone is safe."

"Except me," Melinda pointed out miserably.

Prue bit her lip. "Look, Mels, there may be a way to fix this."

"What do you mean?" Melinda scoffed. She cleared her throat, ashamed for taking it out on Prue. "I'm sorry, it's just... I'm dead, right? Or dying. So how can this be fixed? I mean, if I was closer to being alive than dead, would I be here? With you?"

Prue shook her head, grasping Melinda's hand again. "This goes against all the rules. But Leo did it for Piper once. And I'm going to do it for you."

Melinda frowned, confused. Physically, she felt so much better. But emotionally, she was drained – and Prue was making no sense.

"I'm going to send you back," Prue said firmly. She rushed on, as Melinda tried to protest. "Leo is trying to heal your body, but it's more than that. The demon did a lot of damage, and Leo's healing power isn't enough. Even Paige helping wont be enough. You need my help."

"But you said it's against the rules," Melinda argued. "What will that mean for you?"

Tears glistened in Prue's eyes. "I don't really care. You're still so young, Mels. You still have a long, rich life ahead of you. I can't let it end like this. I can't let my sister's lose someone again. I can't let you die so young. Not after everything you've been through."

Melinda felt tears begin to fill her own eyes. "B-But... What will They do to you? Won't They punish you? Will I ever see you again?"

Prue stepped forward and hugged Melinda with all her might. "I hope so, sweetie. When the time is right, I hope so."

"But I can't lose you again! Not again!" Melinda cried, holding on to her favorite aunt with all the strength she had left.

"You never will," Prue said firmly. "Don't forget me. Keep me alive in your memories, and you'll never lose me. I promise."

"I love you, Aunt Prue," Melinda sobbed.

"I love you, too" Prue replied, but she sounded distant, her voice barely a whisper.

The lights grew unbearably bright, and Melinda had to shut her eyes to block it all out.

Then, silence.

...

Melinda gasped, harsh sunlight shining into her eyes, and causing her to wince. She tried to sit up, but she couldn't. She felt incredibly week and shaky.

"Aunt Prue?" Melinda barely got the words out, her throat dry and scratchy.

"Melinda? Melinda, can you hear me?"

Melinda frowned, the voice sounding familiar but distant. She tried to slowly turn her head, but the movement was painful, her neck stiff. She finally managed it, and standing by her side, looking just as shaken as she felt, was Piper.

"Mom," she croaked, trying harder to sit up now. "What happened? Where am I?"

Piper placed her hands on Melinda's shoulders, keeping her down. "It's okay, Melinda, stay down. You're in bed. You're safe." Her voice was meant to soothe, but it only set Melinda on edge.

"Aunt Prue – she saved me. She's in trouble! The Elders.. She broke the rules," Melinda gagged, coughing. She licked her lips. "She needs us."

Piper hushed her again, then brought a cold glass of water to her lips and helped Melinda to sip some of it. She set the glass down and sat on the edge of the bed, stroking Melinda's hair.

"Hush, baby. We'll deal with it later. All that matters now is that you're safe," Piper insisted, continuing to stroke Melinda's hair until she fell into a fitful sleep.

Quietly, Piper slipped out of the room and closed the door. She leaned against the wall, closed her eyes, and allowed a tear to escape.

Melinda was okay. She was alive, awake, and safe.

...

When Melinda woke, the sunshine streaming through the windows was gone, replaced by the soft glow of moonlight.

This time, Paige sat by her sick bed.

"Hey, sleepy head," Paige smiled, leaning forward. "How are you feeling?"

"What time is it?" Melinda croaked, once again feeling dry, her tongue like sandpaper. "How long was I out?"

"Two days," Paige said with a shrug, "but who's counting?" She chuckled softly, trying to reassure Melinda.

Melinda frowned, closing her eyes briefly before focusing again on Paige. "Prue is in danger. She saved me. She said it was against the rules, and she didn't know what the Elders would do to her. We have to help her, Aunt Paige. She saved my life and she's going to be punished for it!"

Paige frowned softly, a sigh escaping her. "Leo has already been to see the Elders, honey. You were rambling when you first woke up, but Piper understood and had Leo investigate."

"And?" Melinda demanded, frantic for information.

Paige chewed on the inside of her cheek. "And... Prue is fine. Sort of." She signed, standing and pacing. "She isn't allowed to visit anymore, though."

"Why not?" Melinda cried, struggling to sit up, staring straight into Paige's eyes and pleading for the truth, for answers.

"She broke the rules, Melinda. She interfered. Of course, I'm glad she did, and so are your parents and Phoebe." She emphasized this, to ensure Melinda knew she was loved, and they were glad for Prue's help. "But nonetheless, she broke the rules. Leo argued her case, and so the Elders backed down from a harsher punishment, but as it stands now, she isn't allowed to contact us again. Indefinitely."

Melinda slumped, tears welling in her eyes. "This is all my fault."

"No, it's not," insisted a voice from the doorway.

Melinda and Paige both looked up, watching Piper as she made her way into the room, trailed by Phoebe.

"Prue was the big sister. The protector. She never could have sat back and watched her niece die," Piper insisted. "She would give up anything and everything to keep you safe – to keep all of us safe. Don't you dare blame yourself; you've done nothing wrong."

"No?" Melinda laughed crazily. "This is all my fault. I'm the one who started cutting. I'm the one who didn't tell you about the demon sooner, because I was afraid you wouldn't believe me. If I had told you sooner, maybe this all could have been avoided."

"Sweetie, this demon was clever," Phoebe assured her. "He's been doing this for a very long time. He's the same demon that attacked your mom and Paige all those years ago. He's probably been waiting for this moment for a long time. I don't think any amount of planning could have prevented this."

Melinda looked away from them all, picking at the down comforter.

Piper nodded at Paige and Phoebe to leave the room, and they obeyed. Once they were gone, Piper sat beside Melinda and took her hand.

"Melinda, I'm so sorry for all of this. If anyone is to blame, it's me. I should have come clean about my cutting a long time ago. You aren't to blame yourself for any of this."

Melinda shook her head and tried to protest, but Piper cut her off. "The Elders won't keep Prue from us forever. Believe me, I won't let them." Piper's tone was sharp; she meant it. It startled Melinda into looking up finally. "Prue did for you what any of us would do for each other and you need to let that guilt go."

"Okay," Melinda finally relented. "I'm still sorry, though, for all the trouble I've caused."

"I know, sweetie," Piper murmured, kissing Melinda on the forehead. "I just want you to get better. That demon set you back, the bastard. Can you try to get better, for me?"

Melinda smiled – her first real smile in months. "I think I can do that."

Piper smiled back. "I love you, so much." She leaned forward and hugged Melinda.

Melinda hugged her mom, tight. "I love you, too."

Up in the attic, The Book of Shadows was swept closed by a strong wind. And on the cover, the Triquetra glowed.


	16. Epilogue: Six Months Later

A/N: Hey guys! So, it was requested and therefore, this is going to be a short epilogue for Falling Apart. This will be the true, official, final chapter.

Peanut-4ever: Relieved?! Lol. I'm sorry it took 8 years to finish this, and I'm really grateful that you stuck by it when no one else did. You're the reason I finished this finally, so thank you so much. Not only did it get me to finish this amazing fic, but it really got me back into fanfic in general, and now I plan on finishing my other stories, and possibly starting some new ones along the way.

Ariya Elizabeth Cullen Black: Epilogue it is! :) This will be brief, just to summarize. I don't even know if there will be dialogue. Hope everyone enjoys!

...

**6 MONTHS LATER**

Melinda had been "clean" for six months now. She had felt tempted to cut several times, sure, but she had managed not to. Her scars would be a constant reminder of what she had been through. At first, she had considered trying to erase them with magic. They would be with her forever, and how could she explain that to every new friend or boyfriend? What if other people saw them – school administrators? College interview personal? Teachers and professors? Even future job interviews.

It took three months after her ordeal for her to realize that the scars were a part of her life. She had been through so much, and learned so much from her cutting. To erase the scars would almost be like erasing a part of her life, and she couldn't bring herself to do that.

Piper and Leo had slowly begun to reconcile. They always did, in the end. They had been through so much throughout the course of their relationship, starting with that first day so many years ago, when she had thought he was just a handyman. It wasn't easy, not at all. But they were trying to make it work.

Leo hadn't moved home yet, but he visited once or twice a week, to sit down with Piper and discuss things. They also went out on a "date" once a week, to try to rekindle the romance they had once had between them.

Melinda visited with Leo once a week, as well, to spend some quality time with her father. It made it easier, and she didn't miss him as much. Her therapist (unfortunately, she still had to see him) had suggested it would help with the pain, and eliminate one of her reasons for cutting.

Paige had opened up more to Melinda, about not just her cutting and her time with Piper in the institution, but also about her life before becoming a Charmed One. She told Melinda of her rocky childhood and teenage years, when she herself had rebelled against her adoptive parents. Through tears, she explained their deaths and how it had impacted her – just as Prue's death had impacted Melinda.

Melinda felt better, knowing she could talk to Aunt Paige about things. Sure, Piper and Phoebe had lost a loved one when they had lost Prue, but they had also known Prue and sometimes it still hurt to talk about her, especially since Prue had been able to finally visit them – only to be taken away again. It meant a lot to Melinda that she had Paige – somewhat of an outsiders perspective you could say – to talk to.

Prue still hadn't been allowed to come visit. Melinda felt devastated, like it was her fault. But Phoebe assured her it wasn't. Prue would have saved her, no matter the consequences. Melinda tried to console herself with this thought, but it was difficult. She had finally gotten Aunt Prue back, only to lose her again. It hurt twice as much the second time.

This, more than anything, was the thing that still made her want to cut. She missed her aunt, and though her family was moving on and mending wounds (even her parents), she still felt like their family was broken without the eldest Halliwell along for the ride. True, even if she was allowed to visit, it still couldn't be a permanent thing. But at least she'd be around when she was needed.

For now, Melinda did her best to follow her routine: Wake up, go to class, go to her therapist, do homework and chores, go to bed, and repeat the next day. She felt better than she had in months, but she was still healing.

Piper and Leo were getting along. Paige and Phoebe did their best to be there for her. She'd always miss Prue, but she took comfort in the things she did have, and that helped a lot.

Maybe one day, she'd look back on this time as a lesson to learn from. And maybe one day, she'd see her Aunt Prue again.

For now, she was doing great. And she felt great, too.

She was alive. And she was learning to love life again. One day at a time.

_**THE END**_


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